One of my favourite books from last year was Mark Meynell’s When Darkness seems my Closest Friend. It is a description of mental illness from a Christian pastor who has experienced it. One of the best features of the book is his ability to articulate the reality of mental illness for those who haven’t endured […]
It is hard to deny that for a political anorak like me the last few months have been riveting. You have that sense of living through the kind of thing that my successors as undergraduate historians could be writing about in centuries to come. There are, of course, a couple of down sides- occasionally I […]
Last term in our homegroups we spent time reflecting on the character of God. There is a limitless wealth of material when you do that and, inevitably, you cannot say everything. But there is one reality that I wish I had focused on more because I am not sure it is a strength of conservative […]
Earlier this week I wrote a general reflection on 2018. However, before the old year fades completely from our minds, I thought it might be useful to write something more specific to Woody Road. What have been the key events of 2018 and what are the lessons to learn? Farewells One of my chief reflections […]
So what was 2018 like for you? Looking back I have had a good year- enjoyable holidays, pleasant times with family and friends, the privilege of speaking in a variety of contexts alongside a good year for us as a church (that I’ll aim to write about later in the week). But what if 2018 […]
Tonight was our annual biography evening at church. You can listen to the talk here. However, if you do so, you might find the handout that we used helpful to follow along. It is reproduced here: Early Life Born in 1832 to godly parents in Barnsley Converted as a teenager after a period of […]
Normally this blog contains my vague ramblings. However, this week I wanted to post a document that the church elders here at Woody Road put together. It is on the topic of baptism. The intention is not to launch an internet discussion on the subject so much as to help church regulars understand our convictions […]
Last weekend I was on the Cumbrian coast speaking at St.John’s/Claytonbrook Whittle-le-Woods Church Weekend. It was a joy to spend time with a warm hearted group who had the additional benefit, being from Lancashire, of speaking properly. And I loved returning to my favourite theme for a church weekend- Union with Christ. Now it appears […]
It was my final year at university and I was the secretary of the Christian Union. I served alongside a great committee but there was a point when it became too much for me. That was partly work pressure but also the personal issues I’ve alluded to in the past. Spiritually I felt confused, disorientated […]
A friend once described me as a sentimental old fool. I plead guilty. One of the signs of that is that I tend to notice anniversaries. For me, this September has marked fifteen years as a pastor at Woodstock Road Baptist Church. I am aware that is not a major anniversary but it has been […]